The Citadel brand is widely recognized as a value-priced option for quality handguns, firearms and shotguns replicating and delivering their own flavor of classic firearms. Recently Citadel has added lever-action firearms and now lever-action shotguns with the newly introduced 2024 Model 92 .410 shotgun. Based on the very affordable $549 MSRP, and the current trend for lever-action firearms, this is likely to become another hot seller for Citadel dealers. For those customers looking for a value-priced alternative to otherwise significantly higher-priced competing options, the Model 92 offers a .410 shotgun lever-action for a fraction of the price of competitors.
The recent lever-action trend is hot, as was evidenced at SHOT Show 2024, with nearly every manufacturer offering some type of lever-action firearm that ranged from a standard legacy design with walnut stocks and traditional bluing to blacked-out tactically accessorized models with MLOK rails and red-dot mounting capabilities. The Citadel Model 92 sits comfortably between these stylistic lever-action ranges, featuring Citadel’s vintage Winchester 1892 top-ejection action and profile paired with more modern features.
The Citadel Model 92 lever-action replicates the heritage of the proven Winchester Model 92 top-ejection action. The Winchester Model 1892 was introduced in 1892 and is another legendary lever-action rifle designed by John Browning and originally produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
The Citadel Model 92 shares a very similar mechanism and design to the original Model 1892 design, including the top ejection, tubular magazine, locking block, and lever-loop safety. Like the 1892 design, the Citadel Model 92 is exceptionally lightweight and maneuverable at only 5.5 pounds. The Model 92 .410 does carry forward an affordable and modern interpretation of the classic Winchester Model 1892.
Where most competing .410 lever guns lean either into the traditional or tactical sides, like Citadel’s own LEVTAC lineup complete with tactical accessories, the all-black Model 92 will attract those who just want a rugged, safe, lightweight and inexpensive .410 for utility and sporting purposes. The model 92 features a durable black finish with black synthetic stock and handguard, fully adjustable fiber-optic sights, and a barrel threaded for screw-in chokes with a modified choke and wrench included.
Functionally, the Model 92 — Legacy Sports # CIT410LVR — is a simple lever gun with a side-loading, top-ejecting action, but it does have some interesting additional safety features, including a visible red shell follower to positively assure the magazine is empty when looking from the top directly into the breach, a safety that requires the lever-loop to be squeezed to unblock the trigger and position the locking block, and a rebounding hammer. Notably, there is no half-cock hammer position as is typical on most lever guns.
Citadel features a lightweight alloy receiver paired with a 20-inch chrome-lined barrel. Mounted to the barrel in a traditional banded manner is the five-round magazine tube fed from the side-load receiver port. Though it’s never an easy task to side-load straight-walled .410 shotgun shells, the Model 92 instructions do note to thoroughly push each round into the magazine. Loading the maximum five-plus-one capacity is as simple as levering a round into the chamber and then topping off the magazine.
The Model 92 is chambered and compatible with standard 2 1/2-inch .410 shells and not compatible with 3-inch .410 shells. The shotgun is fully compatible with all shot sizes, buckshot, slug and defensive 2 1/2-inch shells, with the additional option of tuning those patterns with optional screw-in chokes. As is typical with the .410 with a modified choke, testing showed that patterns beyond 20 yards were sparse, with most shot weights with the best usable shot patterns inside 15 yards. Ideally as configured, this is an ideal garden and snake gun with bird shot, a small-game stopper with No. 4, and perfect for defense and larger predator hunting with buckshot and slugs. Slugs worked well with the fiber-optic adjustable sights with the additional care to assure the zero was set for the selected round.
At this entry-level price point, the smoothness of the action and very heavy trigger pull will require a lot of break-in to be on par with the smooth actions of the premium tier of competitive offerings, but to be fair, it is a third the price of those competitors. The Citadel lever-action break-in cycle should be expected to be about 150 cycles of either live or dry fire for the action to smooth out and cycling to settle in. Notably, as round count increased, the action smoothed out nicely in our testing.
Initial out-of-the-box testing issues were only with managing through the very tight and rather stiff initial action requiring 14 pounds of pull to cycle and heavy 10-pound trigger pull; however, after a few hundred cycles, the cycling effort dropped substantially to 5.5 pounds and the trigger pull reduced to 6 pounds. The effort required to squeeze the Model 1894 spec loop trigger safety smoothed out as well as rounds count increased. Many customers will appreciate the loop trigger block safety as an extra margin of safety for younger or newer shooters.
During testing, we found the 10- to 15-yard range was ideal for some spirited shooting with No. 8 shot on clays and 4-inch steel swinger targets. With buckshot, 25 yards delivered predictable results, and with slugs the range could be stretched to 50 yards utilizing the adjustable sights.
The Citadel Model 92 is a shotgun that packs a lot of value into a $549 MSRP, combining a heritage-style design with the modern look of a tactical hard-working lever-action shotgun. The Model 92 offers customers a very well appointed .410 lever-action for a $549 MSRP —substantially less than almost any other lever-action on the market.
Sidebar: Spec Sheet
Caliber .410 gauge Model 92
Model CIT410LVR
Barrel Length 20-inch chrome-lined barrel
Capacity 5+1
Chamber Size 2 ½-inch
Sight Type Fiber-optic front, ramp rear sight
Finish Black
Action Type Lever-action
Furniture Tough black synthetic stock, textured grip and forend
Choke Removable; modified choke
OAL 39 inches
Weight 5.5 pounds
MSRP $549
